Retirement System Finally Completed: Impression of the Mola Mola Tambaqui


I have made the last upgrade to my system for enjoyment in retirement.  The Wyred4Sound 10th Anniversary DAC that has provided much musical enjoyment for almost 7 years was replaced with a Mola Mola Tambaqui (MMT).  While I find the 10th to be the best DAC at its price point, 3x the spend provides greater performance across the board.  I auditioned Mola Mola competitors from DCS and Bricasti but chose the MMT.  The decision to go with the MMT was based on the its ability to produce accurate timbre and organic/dense images with state of the art detail that is neither etched nor fatiguing.  The DCS was as detailed but with a more laidback presentation and less dynamic.  Also I personally found the MMT more true to timbre where the DCS had a colder presentation.  The Bricasti was a close second to the MMT IMHO.  The bass performance, organic/dense images and dynamics of the MMT made favor it.  To clarify, all three are phenomenal, differences minor, and choice should be based on personal preference.  I also chose the MMT based on my preference in SQ and system matching. The Burmester 032 IA and Vivid Giya G3s Speakers are consistent with the system design intent and the components complement each other in this regard.   To me, the sound is tube like liquid and sweet but with solid state transient speed, micro/macro dynamics, and clarity.  Aficionados of old school tube sound and ladder DACs may not like this system, but that is the beauty of our hobby - each of us can determine our preferences and build systems to our liking.  There will be no further changes now that I am on fixed income and I dare not propose any or the wife acceptance factor will go into the red danger zone.  Shout out to GTT audio and Bill for his patients and knowledge in working with me to get the MMT.  I will enjoy the system always with a good bourbon or cognac in hand for as many years as He permits.  Thanks to all the members of this forum who have educated me over the years to be able to establish my final system for retirement.  Pics updated in my profile.  

jsalerno277

@jsalerno277 

There seems to be a table in the center where the listening chair would be, Where do you sit to listen?

@ghdprentice I have been retired for a year.  Now contemplating some part time consulting to keep the mind active.  Thank you for your posts.  You have been one of my audiophile mentors.  
@roxy54 I sit in the floral, high back, Early American chairs 9 feet from the speakers. The chair angle is made perpendicular during listening.  Poor room, I know, but it’s the best I can do.  Venting into hall and dining room prevents standing waves so it’s not that bad, but far from a treated, dedicated listening room.  

Well glad to hear you are retired. I know quite a few retired folks. Most say it takes five years to make the adjustment. While I always worked more than sixty hours a week I also pursued multiple hobbies… photography, literature, philosophy, hiking, bicycling, so upon retiring I my hobbies instantly expanded to fill all the time.

 

There is an adjustment period letting go of other people’s interests (work) and reestablishing your own. So for me, intellectual pursuits switched back to philosophy, cognitive and developmental psychology, astronomy, history, and art. I highly recommend “The Great Courses”… they are available on Audible, many free with subscription… with ear pods and you are set to learn and re-establish the connection with interests you had as a child. These are 24 lectures to over 70 per course.. the professors are great orators, simply great speakers, with dense and interesting material. Podcasts and Audible the great books from literature can be incredibly rewarding. I listen a couple hours a day at least… while dog walking and bike riding. I have reread a couple hundred books like Anna Karenina, Catcher in the Rye…. Brave new world. As an adult they are truly works of art… you probably got 10% of it reading as a high school student. I have been rendered speechless repeatedly during or at the conclusion of many of these. But with a lifetime of experience they are simply stunningly profound. Retirement offered unlimited intellectual opportunity.

I now tend to dive deep into current issues, the war in Ukraine and more recently  the Israel - Palestinian conflict. I have listened to 6 - two hour interviews with the world’s leading experts on different facets of it… urban warfare, history of the region, recent history, on the ground reputable journalism. The amazing thing is, the reality, from a deep knowledge perspective looks nothing like the view one would get if one just sees the headlines go by or even reads a couple journals cover to cover daily. It is shocking to see how little you can know about a subject by being working  a casually being a news junky. Now you have the opportunity to really dive into reality. You no longer must work.

 

Anyway, that’s one way of playing it. Enjoy retirement.

  • S@ghdprentice Thank you for your insights on retirement.  I will definitely look into “The Great Courses”.  My wife is looking to retire mid-25 and we plan on traveling the US and EU.  

@mitch2 Thanks and I will continue on this sight to learn and possibly help others even though my knowledge is limited.  

@audphile1 Back story on the Pappy Family  Reserve 15 Year Old:   It is now gone.  I promised my 82 year old cousin with a love for bourbon as great as mine we would finish the last 1/3 bottle when I retire.   We were able to get together 2 weeks ago and it’s now gone.   I came upon it 8 years ago when the Wine Spectator whisky edition voted best.  I was in a large local liquor shop with a prominent reputation and saw it on the shelf.   They just got it in.  I bought their 4 bottle case at $65 each.   If you know your bourbon, it became the most sought after of bourbons.   I have been savoring it on special occasions and the last bottle is now gone.   I have already informed my wife I would like a bottle for my 70th BD July 2025 even though its price is astronomical.   The 15 YO is the most complex bourbon from initial pallet to finish I have experienced, excellent nose, dark color, and ultra smooth   A real treat and a lucky find at that time.  I only have the empty bottle in memoriam of many special and enjoyable occasions.

 

Are you kidding me $65 per bottle!!!!! You robbed that liquor store dude!!!

I’m a bourbon fan myself and I haven’t been able to come up on a bottle.
But…the bourbon gods did smile upon me once when I saw a store employee put a bottle of Four Roses 125th Anniversary Limited Edition on the shelf and before he even had a chance to blink got it. It was the only bottle - each store gets one.
I haven’t built up the courage to pop it open yet but planning on it soon.